Cleveland Heights Set For Ballot Battle Over Mayor Selection

It’s more and more likely Cleveland Heights voters will decide between two competing initiatives on the structure of the city’s government this fall.

A grass roots proposal to make the mayor a full time, elected office passed its final hurdle Thursday, when the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections validated roughly 3,200 petition signatures collected by the group Citizens for an Elected Mayor.

Cleveland Heights has a part-time mayor, who is appointed by current council members. The city’s charter review commission recommended keeping that the same.

Mayor Carol Roe says city council members will probably put both proposals on the November ballot: the citizens’ plan for an elected mayor and the commission’s plan to maintain the status quo. She’s not concerned about voters being confused.

“I think the citizens of Cleveland Heights have a reputation of being engaged, and I think we have a very well-informed electorate," she said. "There will be opportunities for both sides to explain their positions, so I think it will be a very lively local election.”

Tony Cuda, campaign manager of Citizens for an Elected Mayor, says both sides will have to make their positions clear to voters.

“Sometimes with two initiatives, you can have confusion," Cuda said. "That’s a possible byproduct of having them both on there. This gives the voters a choice: do they want to be able to elect their mayor, or do they want the mayor to be appointed?”

Election Day is Nov. 5.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Tony Cuda as the director of Citizens for an Elected Mayor. According to their website, he is the group’s campaign manager.